Title: Running for Cover
Author: Pixmie aka maritzamcnay
Fandom: The Covenant
Rating: NC17 / M
Category: Romance
Word Count: 14 134 (sorry, I tried but for the life of me I could not reach the 15 000 target)
Paring: Reid Garwin / Tyler Simms
Summary: He risked everything to be his hero, but was the price too high?
Once, he'd been boy-next-door handsome, but now Deputy Marshal Reid Garwin seemed a dark, dangerous stranger!
When an old enemy put his life in jeopardy, a reluctant Tyler Simms followed Reid in hiding.
Five years ago Tyler gave all his love to Reid but it was not enough to keep them together and he wanted out, now Reid is back and must protect Tyler against an old enemy seeking revenge. Will Reid be able to protect Tyler? Will Tyler trust him enough to save him? Will love concur all in the end?
Warning: Slash and language
Disclaimer: I do not own The Covenant movie
Special Thanks: First of I want to thank "morcalivan" for cheering me throughout the whole process, telling me "you can do it" when I told myself that I can't. Then I want to thank "bettygoboom" who beta my story for me. I also want to thank "chibi" for drawing my chibi for me and my mother who did an artwork for me as well. Wow this sounds like an acceptance speech.
They'd found him.
He knew the minute he saw the dark sedan driving up the winding road towards the house that they had found him.
Picking up the shotgun next to the door, he opened the screen door and stepped out on the porch before swinging the shotgun over his shoulder and resting his arms over the barrel and bud of the gun.
The car came to a halt as he approached the top step and he saw the men getting out of the car, dressed in the standard dark suites.
"You gentlemen can get right back in that car and go back the way you came. You are not welcome here." He told them still standing there with the gun over his shoulder.
He watch their shocked expression, looking at the shotgun then at him and the shotgun again, from under the brim of his cowboy hat covering his head.
"We have to talk Tyler?" came the voice that has haunted his dream for the past five years.
Tyler lifted his head and looked at the blond haired man, getting out of the car and slowly started to walk his way up to him.
The years had aged him, broadening him across the chest and shoulders and painting a hard edge to his features. He'd once had been boy-next-door handsome, with blond hair and striking blue eyes, and a smile that never failed to turned heads.
Tyler doubted whether women so openly watched him now. Not that he wasn't still handsome, or that they wouldn't be drawn to him (and he hates each and every one of them). It was just no one would mistake this blond, dangerous stranger for an easy man, a man that still had the ability to make him hard in an instant.
No, he scolded himself, he'd promised himself that he was not going to let these feeling wash over him now. He had five years to get over it.
"Deputy Marshal Reid Garwin." Tyler greeted him never letting down his guard, shotgun still popped over his shoulders.
Reid looked up at the man standing before him. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, cowboy boots, a white tank top and a cowboy hat was covering his face so he could not see the ice in the blue eyes looking down at him.
It was still hard for him to think of this man as a cowboy, a rancher. So far distant from the life he had five years ago, but they made their decisions and he had to live with the consequences.
Before he could answer the man before him, his body stiffened, placing his hand on the bud of his gun on his side he slowly turned towards the noise behind him.
A slow smiled played on Tyler's lips as he looked at Reid's reaction. Mentally shaking his head he lifted his head and looked at the man anxiously sitting on the back of the horse behind the parked car.
Raising his hand he greeted the man and told him, "it is okay Chase, these gentlemen were just leaving. Do you mind checking the fens on the east side on your own today? The new colt arrived earlier this morning and I don't want to be to far away in case there is some complications."
"Sure thing boss." Chase said to Tyler, still watching Reid carefully, before steering his horse in the opposite direction of the house.
Reid turned back towards Tyler and the breath caught in his throat when he saw the ice in the once gentled blue eyes that he used to love looking at.
Clearing his throat he squared he shoulders and said "We still need to talk Ty."
Dropping the shotgun to his side he sighed and half turned towards the door.
"Fine, come in and say what you want to say and then leave." He told them and walked towards the door keeping it open, looking over his shoulder towards the other two men still standing motionlessly next to the car. "Oh and Agents J and K can come in too." and with that he entered his home.
Reid knew that this was a bad mistake to come here personally. He knew the minute that Judge Simms told him about Abbot being released from jail, that he should have called the field office here in Nashville and let them handle the case, but he couldn't because this was personal and he needed to handle it himself.
Taking a steady breath he motioned the other two men to follow him in the house.
Tyler hadn't changed much over the last five years, Reid thought to himself as he walked up the porch steps.
He had a bit more muscle now and was maybe a little more tan that before but he was still his baby boy with his messy brown hair, how did he call it, oh yes bed hair look and blue eyes.
Oh those blue eyes, Reid thought, and closed his own blue eyes for a moment before opening the screen door.
He knew the layout of the house. He was the one who had found it and helped Tyler move into this place five years ago. But five years ago this house was cold and empty with only their moans echoing through the empty rooms. Now it was furnished in a warm homey ranch style.
Opening the door he heard voices and could smell freshly made bread from the kitchen and his mouth began to water.
Walking slowly towards the kitchen he took in every room they passed. Stopping in the doorway of the kitchen he saw Tyler sitting by the large oak kitchen table with a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. A woman with long black hair and dark skin, about their age, was standing with her back to him in front of the stove and he felt his heart sank into his stomach.
Could it be possible, had Tyler really moved on?
Suddenly a little whirl of wind ran past him in the kitchen yelling, "unca Ty!, unca Ty!."
He looked astonished as a smiling Tyler picked up the little blond hair girl to sit on his lap.
Gosh, how he missed that smile. Reid though to himself and leaned against the door frame. He knew that he should go in but he just wanted to watch a little bit longer. He wanted to bury these moments with the rest for later.
Tyler looked up from his cup of coffee, smiling as a little blond hair girl about four years old, came running into the kitchen yelling, "unca Ty!, unca Ty!."
He could not keep the smile from his face and picked her up as soon as she stood next to his chair so that she could sit on his lap.
"What is it princess?" he asked her and gave her a kiss on the top of her blond hair.
"Moonlight had her baby." The little girl said with so much joy in her voice.
"I know sweetheart. You were still dreaming of rainbows when I was with her this morning." He told her and a movement caught his eye at the door.
Turning his head, he roamed his eyes over the man standing in the door. Even though he was also dressed in the standard dark suite, tie and the works he could still make any woman's heart beat faster.
Women. Humph, Tyler though, he could still make his own heart beat faster
"So are you going to stand there the whole day or are you going to take a seat?" Tyler asked and he could see Reid stiffen in reaction to the harshness in his voice.
Reid pushed himself from the doorway and slowly walked towards Tyler and took a seat opposite him, never taking his eyes of the women by the stove.
Tyler must have seen his reaction and said "that is Kate and this little princess over here," he said and tickled the little girl on his lap till she screamed with laughter, "is Sarah. You've met Kate's husband Chase outside."
Reid could not suppress the sigh of relief when he heard that Tyler and Kate, that … he could not even think it, it was too hard to imagine Tyler with anybody else but him.
"Reid?" Tyler's voice pulled him back to reality and he looked up at the man sitting in front of him.
"Yes?"
"I don't want to be rude. Scratch that I want to be rude, say what you wanted to say and leave."
"Uhm." Reid started and looked at Kate and Sarah.
Tyler got the message and asked Kate if she would mind leaving them for a few minutes. Kate took Sarah and with a promise from Tyler to the little girl that they could go and see the little colt later Sarah skipped happily out of the room after her mother.
After the two girls left Tyler turned to Reid again and raised his eyebrow waiting patiently for him to tell him why he was there. It was very hard for him to look at the man across from him and pretend that nothing ever happened between them. But he had to, as it was Reid who said that it would be better for both of them to pretend that nothing ever happened.
Reid cleared his throat and first looked at the two agents standing in the doorway before he started. "I'm here because of Aaron Abbot."
"What do you mean you are here because of Aaron Abbot. He is behind bars and you said that he will never find me." Tyler was on the brink of hysteria, and he had to take deep breaths to try to calm himself.
"I knew what I said Tyler. But the fucker got out and…."
This time Tyler was hysterical, "What do you mean, he got out. He was sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole."
Reid reached out a hand and tried to calm the man in front of him but stopped midway and dropped his hand to his side when Tyler said "Don't you dare touch me."
"Ty, he got out, paid a judge to overrule his sentence and even though your father and I tried everything in our power he still got free, because he has the resources, power and money to do it."
"Father tried to stop it?"
"Yes he did, even got death treats from Abbot, saying that if he did not keep his nose out of his business he will surely pay the prize."
"Is he safe? Wait, did something happen- to him, is that why you came yourself?" Tyler asked with fear in his voice.
"Your father is safely in protective custody, Ty. Abbot does not want you father, he wants you and he wants to hurt you slowly, to punish you for the years he was behind bars.
Tyler was stunned, he could not move as fear washed over his body.
"So you are here to take me into custody?" Tyler asked with anger and disgust in his voice. He hated this part which is why he had wanted out five years ago and now they brought it back again in his life.
"Well technically no. We are here to observe the situation and keep you safe. We are sure that Aaron does not know where you are."
Tyler stood up and walked towards the sink and poured himself a glass of water from the tap. He needed to calm down now.
"So your going to baby sit me?"
"Ty-" Reid started but stopped as soon as he saw that anger flashing in Tyler's blue eye.
"It's Tyler and I want the truth." Tyler demanded harshly.
"Yes. We are here to keep you safe." Reid said in barely a whisper.
Tyler was beyond furious as he listen to the blond man speaking. How dare they come here and "destroy" the life he had created for himself. They were the ones who had said that it would be for the best but now, now look.
He turned away from the sink to face Reid again. First looking at the two men standing in the doorway. He could see that both was very well build even though they wore suits. One man had short dark brown hair and brown eyes while the other had longish light brown hair with hazel eyes.
He smirked; it was strange that the Marshall's office allowed the man to wear his hair that long.
He then turned his attention to the man at the table and sighed, if only he did not love him so damn much it would have been so much easier to just hate him.
"So what is the plan now?" he asked Reid.
We will stay here and keep track of things. As I said I don't think that Abbot knows your whereabouts, but we just want to be on the safe side."
Tyler snickered and replies "I can hardly belief that you were able to withdraw yourself from my father's side."
"Ty, please."
"It is Tyler." He replied harshly and Reid sighed running his hand over his face.
"Tyler. Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is." Reid begged.
"Fine," Tyler said. "this is a ranch not a five star resort and if you want to stay here and baby sit me you will just have to earn your keep."
Reid shook his head in disbelief and smiled. "I understand. Now if you will let me introduce you to Agent's Caleb Danvers and Pogue Parry." He said and got up.
"Danvers, Parry, why don't you go and get our stuff from the car?" he asked the two men who just nodded - and left the kitchen.
He turned back to the dark hair man and simply said "Thank you Tyler." before he left the room.
It was already dark outside and Tyler stood on the porch looking out over corn fields that stretched out as far as the eye can see. As he listened to the sounds of the night, the scenes of the day replayed in the back of his mind.
After Reid thanked him he did not see him again and he was trying to ignore the fact that the man he loved most in the world was somewhere in his house (well he assumed that Reid was in the house setting up surveillance or what ever they call it), so instead he worked himself numb, cleaning out the stables even though it was cleaned the previous day, putting fresh hay in each horse's stable even milking the damn cows himself, just to keep himself from wandering in the house to look for Reid.
He heard the screen door being opened and someone stepping on the porch. He knew who it was without turning and groaned mentally. Was he not even allowed to be alone with his thoughts for one minute?
"You really, should not be alone outside-." Reid said behind Tyler.
Tyler closed his eyes, balled his fists and took a deep breath before turning to look at the man standing behind him.
"I agreed that you could stay Reid, but I'm not; hear me because I'm not going to say this again: I'm not going to hide in my own fucking home just because some asshole wants to take revenge on me." Tyler hissed through clenched teeth.
Reid sighed and ran his hand over his face. This was going to be more difficult than he though. Maybe he should just leave Tyler in the care of Caleb and Pogue; they are two of his best men as well as friends and he trusted them with his life. But he was being selfish about his reason for staying and it had nothing to do with his assignment to protect Tyler, it was so much more than that.
"Tyler, please?" he begged.
"Please what? Please listen? Well I'm done listening. Please don't act this way? Well that's too bad because it is your fault that I'm acting this way. You were the one who wanted this so I'm just acting the way YOU wanted. So don't please me!"
Reid stepped closer to Tyler and grabbed hold of his shoulders, but Tyler just shrugged it off and glared at him.
"Don't you dare touch me, Reid. I think that you'd better go inside, because I will not be responsible for my actions if you stay here."
Reid ignored him stepping even closer and grabbed hold of the back of his head and pulled him closer with force before he crashed his mouth to Tyler's in a hard kiss. Just as fast as he grabbed him, he let go of him and disappeared in the house, leaving a stunned Tyler gasping for air.
Tyler stood there shocked beyond belief and he could not move. Slowly lifting his hand he touched his lips where Reid's was just a second ago.
Shaking his head slightly he went inside and up to his room to retire for the evening, not that he was going to get any sleep now.